It is well established that presenting merchandise in a neat, accessible, and aesthetically pleasing manner can increase sales. Retailers typically employ a variety of retail display systems to accomplish effective merchandise presentation. Many of these methods are aimed at automation as well as security. Indeed, loss prevention, i.e. the reduction or prevention of retail theft, is a design parameter often contemplated in the design of retail display systems.
One such retail display system, a pusher system, is used to “face” merchandise, i.e. bias the merchandise to the leading edge of a retail shelf. A general description of a typical pusher system may be found at U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2007/0267364 A1, the teachings and disclosure of which are hereinafter incorporated by reference.
A typical pusher system contains merchandise in an organized line or row. As a front most item is removed, a pusher of the pusher system biases the entire line or row forward such that the next item in the line or row, now the front most item, is biased forward until it engages a stop of the pusher system that prevents further movement of the item. As a result, the pusher system presents retail merchandise in a neat and accessible manner by maintaining the same in a linear row upon a shelf while also locating the merchandise at a highly accessible point.
Increasing retail sales through effective presentation has created a demand for the incorporation of pushers and like in retail displays not otherwise incorporating a shelf. However, certain displays have presented challenges to incorporating a pusher. One example is the retail display hook. Retail display hooks typically include a rod or wire extending away from a support structure in a cantilevered manner. Merchandise is hung from the hook, and can be removed by sliding the merchandise off an end of the hook.
Unfortunately, a pusher system used with a retail hook presents several problems. As one example, the biasing action of the pusher can create an undesirable outward lean in the merchandise situated on the hook. The outward lean of the merchandise tends to make the merchandise appear disorganized. As another example, several items of retail merchandise hanging from the hook are more easily removed in a single operation under the assistance of the pusher, allowing for a heightened vulnerability to retail theft.
The present invention is directed toward an improved retail hook that may or may not employ self facing technology that improves upon one or more deficiencies in the art.